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Nonprofit organizations use technology to streamline otherwise time consuming paper and pen processes. Electronic signatures offer one such opportunity to simplify agreements with your beneficiaries, volunteers, staff, and other third parties. This article helps guide you in determining whether to adopt the use of electronic signatures at your nonprofit.

Electronic signatures can help get your organization’s business done easier and faster. By having participants and volunteers sign liability releases and other agreements online, you can reduce paperwork, shorten contract exchange times, and ease your document retention burdens. But electronic signatures also present special concerns and issues that, while they can be overcome, you should be mindful of. We’ll walk through the issues, discuss online release and digitally signed contracts, and present some best practices.

Small nonprofits raising money often accept credit, debit and pre-paid card (also known as payment card) payments online and in person. Nonprofits take these payments at silent auctions and other events, and almost all have DONATE NOW buttons on their websites. The way in which nonprofits accept and process these transactions can expose the nonprofits to potential liability. While trying to limit this exposure, nonprofits can’t forget about the charitable solicitation laws that apply to them.

During this one-hour webcast, our speakers will:

Provide a general overview of the risks and liabilities of accepting credit, debit and pre-paid card payments;

Describe the compliance requirements for accepting such payments;

Discuss the differences between accepting payments directly versus using an online payment processor;

Describe how a nonprofit can limit its exposure; and

Provide an overview of the charitable solicitation issues in accepting online donations

Presenters: Sean Christy, Sutherland

Robyn Miller, Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta

Please be advised that we experienced technical difficulties with video and sound during this webcast.